NERD NITE LONDON, WHERE IT’S HIP TO BE SQUARE.

Nerd Nite London is a monthly event where three speakers give 18-21 minute fun-yet-informative talks across all disciplines, while the audience drinks along. This January we learn about the science skills of pigeons, whether uranium is more ballet or disco, and why we should add space junk to our list of things to worry about. Be there and be square.

Address: The Backyard Comedy Club, 231 Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0EL

Details: 15 January 2020

Tickets: Early Nerd Tickets £6, General Admission £7.50. Extra-generous donation to Shine Trust £10. Tickets available here

Doors Open At 7pm, Event Starts: 7.30pm. Bar Opens At 5pm.

Citizen Scientists of the Sky

Today you’ve probably seen upwards of a hundred pigeons on the streets of London. And you’ve probably ignored them. But did you know that these beautiful birds with superior powers of navigation are also esteemed avian academics who deserve our respect? Could these “rats with wings” even do a better job than scientists? Find out how science has evolved over the centuries to a world where we can all be involved in research (including pigeons) and how we’ve got to the stage where playing games on your phone during your commute has the potential to cure HIV.

Jenny Chapman is a keen amateur ornithologist and unapologetic pigeon fancier with an interest in how science and society interact and overlap (and try to get on, but occasionally argue about who is going to put the bins out). She has a degree in Biology, a Masters in Evolutionary Genetics and splits her time between hula hooping and environmental activism.

Space Junk – The Threat Hanging Over Our Heads
Outer space can often feel completely disconnected from daily life but in fact we rely on satellites everyday. Whilst space is big, it’s getting crowded with an increasing amount of space junk orbiting the Earth. This talk looks at why you should be worried about space junk and what we can do to solve it.

Harriet Brettle is a business analyst at Astroscale where she is working to develop a commercial solution to the threat of space debris. She is a co-founder of the London Space Network, organising monthly networking events to strengthen the UK space community.

Dance like an Electron: Using the electrons and energy levels in a selection of elements to choreograph a dance

Each element has a different number of electrons dancing around in it, corresponding to its number in the periodic table. As the number of electrons get bigger, the element needs more energy levels to make space for these hyperactive subatomic particles, and some of those energy levels or orbitals get rather crowded – like a packed dance floor around 3 a.m. We’re going to look at the way that electrons move around the nucleus of a selection of elements and create our own Nerd Dance Troupes.
Kay Scorah is a lapsed biochemist and advertising person, leadership and communications consultant, inventor of the Essex Road Recipe project, writer of a blog (warning, not for the easily offended) and occasional standup and theatre performer. She has run her own business, havemorefUnlimited for 32 years.

All proceeds from Nerd Nite London go to charity. this year we are partnering with The Shine Trust to help foster a new generation of nerds.

More information about Nerd Nite London can be found by following us on Twitter @nerdnitelondon, liking us on Facebook www.facebook.com/nerdnitelondon or visiting www.london.nerdnite.com. for more information about The Shine Trust visit www.shinetrust.org.uk